Official text of the AFSCME contracts

Every employee has unique needs and circumstances. We’ve created this site to provide you with general guidance about University policies. The labor represented contracts supersede all information contained on this page.

For full details about vacation leave, read your labor represented contract and consult with your supervisor or your department’s HR team about how your labor represented contract applies to your situation.

Maximum accrued vacation leave allowed

Your accumulated vacation time may not exceed the total amount of vacation that you would earn in two years working at your current level of appointment.

For example, if you work 75-percent time (an average of 30 hours a week), you cannot have more vacation time on the books than what you would earn working for the next two years at 30 hours a week.

Unpaid leaves

Depending on the policies of your unit, your supervisor may have the discretion to grant you unpaid time off. Contact your HR team or supervisor for more information.

Exchanging vacation for pay

If you’re about to reach the maximum amount of vacation leave you’re allowed to accrue, you have two options that will help you prevent the loss of vacation leave. If you’ve made a vacation request in accordance with your unit’s leave policy but the request was denied:

Option 1 You’re entitled to take up to one week of vacation to avoid exceeding your maximum. You must give notice to your supervisor of your plans to use this vacation time at least seven calendar days in advance.

Option 2 You may cash out one week of vacation leave. The amount of vacation time you cash out cannot exceed a level equal to the percentage of time of your appointment. For example, if you have a 75-percent appointment, you cannot cash out more than 30 hours of vacation time.

Changing jobs or leaving the University

If you’re transferring to another labor represented or civil service job within the University without a break in service, your unused vacation leave will transfer with you to your new position.

If you're transferring into a P&A job, up to 80 hours of your current vacation balance will be transferred to your Academic vacation. Hours over 80 will be paid out.

If you’re leaving the University employment, your unused vacation leave will be paid out.

Returning to the University

If you are a former University employee and are returning to work at the U, your former vacation leave accumulation rate and eligibility will be reinstated if the following conditions are met:

You are hired off the layoff list

OR

You are a former employee hired within three years of your termination from the University, and you were formerly employed in an appointment with a designated percentage of 50-percent time or higher, AND

Your new job at the University is at a designated percentage of 50-percent time or higher, AND

You were not terminated from your former position pursuant to a settlement agreement.

Donating vacation leave

The University offers a vacation donation program that allows civil service and labor represented employees to donate their vacation leave to University employees in need.